A search of the database shows a number of pages regarding Magenta, but none appear to be an appreciation thread, so in honor of their new album Chameleon I have created an appreciation thread for their fans to discuss all things Magenta. I am curious to see if there are any fans here in PA and what tidbits that I might learn about them. I've had Metamorphosis for a while and love that album. I have recently ran through the remainder of their discography via the magic of the internet and find myself falling in love with this band.

This has been posted elsewhere within PA, but if you aren't familiar with Magenta and would like to check them out, they have a Collection album available for free download here. http://www.magenta-web.com/

I've been guilty of all of them at one point or another. I've only listen to Seven the one time this week. Not sure which is my favorite. I'm most familiar with Gluttony and Anger which were on their The Collection and so I have heard both of those more than once.

Magenta is cool because their female vocalist is cute. Their music is good too, though. I'm an idiot, so whenever I listen to them I imagine I'm listening to a more interesting incarnation of Paramore.

I've seen them 4 times . First one was at the now defunct London Astoria when they opened a prog festival. That can be the kiss of death but with nothing better to do I went and checked them out and was hooked straight away. There were so few watching I even made eye contact with the gorgeous Christina. I'm in here I thought (ha ha). That was just prior to the release of Seven which I was quick to buy when it became available. Loved it straight away. People will complain there are obvious (self acknowledged tbf) references to Entangled and other Genesis tracks but Rob Reed (who is a fan of The Sound Of Music) makes sure that the music is tight and melodic. The other ace in the hole that Magenta possess is Chris Fry. Now if Fry is not the most underated guitarist in prog then I'm a monkeys uncle. This guy is seriously good and in the bracket of a Steve Howe (or Hackett) for technical brilliance.

After discovering Seven I managed to get hold of their debut Revolutions. I would rate this as one of the best debuts of the last 20 years. Massively ambitious and a joy for anyone who likes expansive symphonic prog. I suspect there are those that find Seven a little too condensed compared to the debut and that might explain why they have failed to make the impact their talent warrants. Rob Reed is a very clever arranger and excellent keyboardist but has not been able to develop the sound and style beyond the debut album. As much as I like Metamorphosis it isn't anything new. Chameleon is a bit of a disappointment. Starts so well with Glitter Ball but goes nowhere fast.

For me:

Revolutions - 4 stars

Seven - 5 stars

Home - 2 stars

Metamorphosis - 4 stars

Chameleon - 3 stars

The live albums and DVD's are also very good. Live At The Point is the one I have on my I-pod and features a nice spread of their songs from commercial stuff like Speechless and the more ambitious tracks like The White Witch.

To sum up - Very pleasant expertly played melodic prog with lovely female vocals.

^ They've just reissued the underrated Metamophosis with bonus material so I would recommend getting that. The bonus material includes Rob Reed being interviewed and talking about the comparisons with Genesis (Entangled especially) that you mention.Very interesting.

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